identical
Americanadjective
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Also called: numerically identical. being one and the same individual
Cicero and Tully are identical
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Also called: quantitatively identical. exactly alike, equal, or agreeing
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designating either or both of a pair of twins of the same sex who developed from a single fertilized ovum that split into two Compare fraternal
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of identical
First recorded in 1610–20; from Medieval Latin identic(us) identic + -al 1
Compare meaning
How does identical compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
When you're looking for exact replicas, don't waste your time on snowflakes or fingerprints; no two are identical, or exactly the same. Great mind may think alike, but they'll never be identical. Twins, on the other hand, very well may be — if they've come from the same split embryo that is. It makes sense then, that the word identical has linguistic roots in the Latin word idem, meaning "the same."
Vocabulary lists containing identical
Measurement and Data, List 1
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List 3
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Measurement and Data
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Even more rare is the kind of triplets Craft gave birth to, Passi said: Two of them are identical twins and the third is a fraternal twin.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026
Furthermore, el-Shazly's has the same case file number as her two brothers, Hassan and Eid, who Rashid says face "substantially identical allegations".
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
That’s a problem because the bar association is a professional guild for practicing attorneys, whose interests aren’t identical to those of law students or the public.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Two people retire on the same day with the same balance and earn the identical average return over 30 years.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026
As soon as he laid eyes on her, saw the identical fear in her eyes, he’d recognize her from the temple.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
